My name is Benjamin Splain. I am going to be frank with you people, I’m not a writer. One of my best friends, Mattilius, whom I shall discuss a bit later, wants me to write a book about the biggest moment of my life. He’s more of the writing type. Anyway, I have an idea what I’m going to do for that book, but I did want to get something else on the record. So, here goes.
Before I tell you what happened, just know that years ago I lived in a weird world. To give you a basic understanding of it, aggression meant everything. To have your voice heard, you had to be violent. To avoid being bullied, you had to assert dominance. It was a brutal world. All I knew of others was aggression. Everything and everyone was rude and downright selfish. People glared at each other from across the street just for existing. Parents taught their children how to stand their ground in a fight before they even fully learned how to write. Anyone that didn’t conform to their ways was forced to with the utmost brutality.
Speaking of which, society did everything in its power to try and make me bend to their ways. But I never swayed. I don’t know if it was to protect me or if it was to corrupt me, but when I was younger, I was given a weapon. I won’t specify what, but it was ranged. I’m just going to call it “Tommy”. Now, the biggest problem was that from a young age all I had wanted to do was be an artist. That’s it, painting and drawing was a talent I was never permitted to harness. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that it was best for me to run away. I mean, it was either stay and suffer, or try and find a new life somewhere beyond.
Easier said than done to say the least.
But the biggest thing was when I was already beyond civilization borders, if you could even call it a civilization. I remember it all vividly.
I had just pushed aside a bush, when I heard a rustle. First I thought it was some sort of animal before I heard voices. Two guys. They were talking about some sort of fob or something. I looked around to try and find a way to escape, but before I could, two dudes about my age emerged from the foliage. Mattilius and Steve.
Mattilius was the taller one, Steve was shorter. They were dressed funny. At least at the time I thought they dressed funny. Mattilius wore a black jacket and this brown fedora. Steve wore an identical jacket, but in green, with a soldier helmet on his head.
They paused and stared at me for a moment, before I broke the silence, raising Tommy up and asking them, “Who are you fools?”
Almost immediately, they raised their hands and began exclaiming that violence was unnecessary. It honestly caught me off guard. Here were these two guys, walking about, in the forest, that did not resort to aggression when meeting a stranger. I repeat, this was foreign to me, that’s how twisted my world was. I didn’t know how much I could trust them, but I eventually explained what this world was like, and they agreed to help me flee. Long story short, I ended up hitch-hiking with them all the way back to their house. Steve didn’t approve much. Not wise to bring a stranger home, know what I mean?
All jokes aside, these guys introduced me to Mattilius’ parents. Also known as Steve’s adoptive parents. Eventually known as my adoptive parents. Matt and Steve really changed my life. Even if I do tease and prank them, they don’t know how much they’ve done for me.
Afterwards, Matt’s parents ended up adopting one more guy, Martin. Cool guy. I swear he knows more about myself than I do sometimes. However, he’s the only one that’s actually seen my artistic side. It’s nice having people who don’t judge you. Having a family.
Even if not biologically, these guys are my brothers. Period.